Proceed With Caution
by SkyChasingDreamer
Summary: Boarding School AU - rating will change - Gintoki was shaking and his face had gone deathly pale, Hijikata couldn't leave him like that, he'd only been looking for help. Things had gone from casual to frantic and though Hijikata didn't like the guy, this really wasn't how he'd wanted things to happen. He'd only wanted to dunk Gintoki in the water, not break one of his bones!
1. Chapter 1

**Title: **Proceed with Caution

**Pairing: **HijiGinHiji – Hijikata is the main top in this one /rolls

**Rating: **T to M to NC17

**Disclaimer: **No

**A/N:** Link to art on my profile page!

**Proceed with Caution**

Hijikata ran to the bank of the creek and grabbed Gintoki by the collar of his uniform to help haul him the rest of the way out of the water. He was drenched head to toe and Hijikata didn't care when water splashed on him, he was freaking out too much to give a shit about much of anything. Something had gone wrong, something big, everything was ruined, he felt terrible!

"Shit! I – shit – are you okay?"

"Do I fuckin' look okay?" Gintoki yelled back, staring at his arm as he fell heavily to his knees. "W-what do I – why's it bending that way?"

Hijikata's eyes widened in horror. "I t-think it's broken!"

"You broke my arm?" His right arm was definitely broken, but everything about Gintoki's expression said that he didn't understand. "Do something!"

"W-what do I do?"

"I don't know! Why would I know? O-ouch... it – ouch! I-it really fuckin' hurts!"

Hijikata was straight up panicking. "Fuck! Should I get someone?"

"Yes? I don't – oi! D-don't just leave me!"

"I wasn't gonna!"

Gintoki was shaking and his face had gone deathly pale, Hijikata couldn't leave him like that, he'd only been looking for help. Things had gone from casual to frantic and though Hijikata didn't like the guy, this really wasn't how he'd wanted things to happen. He'd only wanted to dunk Gintoki in the water, not break one of his bones!

Looking around, he yelled at the first person he saw, "You! Oi! Yeah, you! We need... fuck, we need the nurse or... someone! Go get someone! A teacher or something!" Reaching down, he grabbed Gintoki's good arm and gave him a tug. "C-c'mon, your legs aren't b-broken! Get up!"

Gintoki was shaking so bad he stumbled getting up and it was out of sheer reflex that Hijikata took off his jacket and put it around Gintoki's shoulders. He didn't know why he did it, it didn't help anything and he didn't think Gintoki was shaking because he was cold. Well, the water couldn't have been warm, so maybe it was from the cold, but – but – fuck! What could he do? He didn't know the first thing about broken arms!

"Q-quit shakin' so goddamn much!"

"I can't h-h-help it!" His teeth were chattering so hard that his words were strung out. "That w-water was freez-z-zing!"

"Get your shit together, the doors aren't that far!"

They started moving and honestly, Hijikata was still trying to get his shit together himself. He was going to be in so much trouble for this and the whole thing was so stupid – how was he going to face his brother? How could he ever show his face in front of his friends? That sounded so dramatic, but he was seriously worried about these things! He'd really fucked up and he was sure no one was going to let him forget it.

The trek to the front doors didn't take as long as he thought it would since Gintoki was walking sort of okay. He was shaking really bad and his already pale skin had reached a level of pale that made him look like he had one foot in the grave. It was ghastly and yet another testament to how awful Hijikata was. How could he do this to someone? Granted, breaking Gintoki's arm hadn't been on his mind, but that was what had happened and his stomach was in knots over it. There were some people Hijikata didn't think twice about going after, but on the whole, Gintoki hadn't deserved this.

They got up the stone steps and through the door and it was amazing that there wasn't anyone nearby on the school grounds and even more amazing how few people there were inside. Normally the place was buzzing with students and faculty going in and out on their own personal agendas, but of course, when an adult was needed, there wasn't one to be found. The first student they saw was an average looking boy that froze the moment he saw them, Hijikata had no idea what had become of the first boy.

Hijikata lost his patience right away, snapping, "Don't just s-stand there! Do somethin'!"

The poor boy looked so stricken and his arms were motioning helplessly. "I'll go... go get someone?"

"Yes!" Hijikata barked and looped an arm around Gintoki's waist while he grabbed his good arm to help keep him steady. "The head nurse! Let her know we're coming!" The guy just kept standing there until Hijikata snarled, "_Now_!"

As soon as he scurried away, Hijikata got Gintoki moving in the right direction. Gintoki probably didn't need the support, but Hijikata was giving it anyway since it looked like he was going to keel over soon. The other was shaking so much and his teeth kept chattering, this was hitting every limb down the fucked up situation tree.

"Are you cold?"

"I – can't tell."

Okay, then, it was definitely some form of shock he was going into, which was maybe – most likely – his body trying to protect him from the pain. That made the most sense, but Hijikata shivered because of the water seeping through at his side, so it was probably a mixture of both things. The more they walked, they more people saw them and Hijikata hated himself for it. He tightened his hold on Gintoki and sped up, his face turning red. Gintoki managed the change just fine, but he did accidentally slip a couple times because of his wet shoes.

Whispers could be heard around them and it doubled Hijikata's panic, making him more anxious. He didn't want people to see what he'd done, he just wanted to fix it and set it right. As much as he might think he wanted Gintoki to have some great demise, he never _actually _wanted to hurt the bastard! He really, really hadn't!

-o-O-o-

Two Days Before

-o-O-o-

So, Hijikata went to a boarding school with his closest friends. He liked the school a lot – the faculty was great, the grounds were beautiful, the uniforms weren't hideous – there was so much to like about this place. It was his second year and his first year had been a memorable experience that Hijikata cherished and would continue to cherish for years to come. He'd been so worried about leaving his brother to come here, but after his first few months acclimating, he got over that, though, he does miss his brother, of course.

However, even though he did like the school, such a wonderful place had to have its flaws. Or just flaw. Singular. One flaw.

Sakata Gintoki, that was the flaw.

He hadn't attended the first year, but he was in the same grade as Hijikata and Gintoki was a goddamn nightmare. Hijikata didn't even know where to start with how atrocious Gintoki was and it was because of him that Hijikata's second year wasn't going nearly as well as his first year had.

It was at lunch that Hijikata always felt the most alienated, so he was going to start the telling of how awful Gintoki was from there. As it was, Hijikata had his small group of friends that he sat with consistently in the same place, he had a _seat_ that was his and only his for god's sake, but then there was Gintoki who seemed to sit with new people at different tables every fucking day. Hijikata wasn't jealous, but it got annoying that whenever Gintoki walked into the lunchroom he was being called out to all over the place.

He was a fucking _jock_.

Hijikata didn't know what sports he played except, like, _all of them_. The fucker was good at everything and he acted like he didn't know it or that he was too good for it. He just kind of picked up on things with this weird natural talent that was half-assed and so often he looked bored with it.

But the most annoying thing?

How about all of Hijikata's friends _liking_ the guy? Kondo? Loved him! Couldn't get enough of saying hi to Gintoki! Sougo? Oh, Sougo was fucking psycho, he'd taken to Gintoki right away and treated him like some kind of god. Hijikata _still _couldn't believe it! And it was Sougo's fault that Hijikata had gotten into the pranking thing with Gintoki and he couldn't just get out of it because it'd make him look weak. It would look like Gintoki had won and no way in hell was Hijikata going to give him the satisfaction.

The whole pranking scenario had started out so simple, but it had escalated so quickly and turned into something so preoccupying Hijikata had developed a strong sense of paranoia, he was always looking both ways and watching his back. The only friend he could count on was Mitsuba, but even _she_ thought the pranking was all in good fun and she admitted to enjoying being a spectator. She found it entertaining – what a joke! And she'd even called it cute once! Hijikata was losing his fucking mind over it and no one seemed to notice or care!

What was worse?

Gintoki.

He was worse.

Every time Hijikata pulled off something good, Gintoki took it in stride and laughed about it. So far, the only thing Hijikata was most proud of was dying Gintoki's hair a really intense shade of mauve. What had Gintoki done? He'd laughed obnoxiously and paraded it around like it was the next best thing, the latest trend. The stupid bastard even fucking pulled it off! Who pulled off mauve hair and got compliments out of it? He'd heard Gintoki had gotten asked out while looking so stupid – how the fucking hell?

He didn't understand it, but Hijikata was brewing something up, something huge that would put an end to the pranking, it was _that _good. He... hadn't thought of it yet, but when he did, look out! He was so tired of all the pranks, he couldn't take it anymore. It'd been sort of amusing in the beginning, trying to one up the bastard, but he was running out of any decent ideas and he wouldn't go back to doing petty shit, it'd gone too far since then.

Plus, pranking aside, another stupid thing about the guy was that he ate so many _sweets_. Hijikata didn't know why that was so offensive, but it was and it always made Hijikata's lip curl. Gintoki ate sweets all the time and traded different parts of his meals to get more desserts. For six weeks, Hijikata had been pranking this sugar freak, for six weeks he'd watched Gintoki eat copious amounts of sugar that should have killed him by now, and for six weeks he and Gintoki hadn't had a single conversation. They'd talked a few times, but really they'd just traded insults and squinted at each other.

Gintoki was fucking weird.

He looked like he was having fun after each prank and more than once, he'd looked at Hijikata and _winked_. Winked! Actually, he did that with pretty much everyone, but that was beside the point. They were nowhere near friends, not even fucking close. Hijikata didn't want to be his friend or get to know him. He wanted Gintoki _gone_. Gintoki was no good, he was a sly fucker that had somehow managed to charm everyone and fool them into thinking he was any kind of cool, which he wasn't. Hijikata didn't understand why no one else could see it and whenever he vented to Mitsuba, she'd pat his hand consolingly and had that little smile on her face, the one that made it seem like she was having the best inside joke with herself.

On top of everything, Gintoki made friends with all grades and it felt like every teacher adored him. He was pretty much the class clown – Hijikata didn't think he was at all funny – but people fawned over him like he was the best thing on earth. Hijikata really didn't see what was so great about the idiot. The most noticeable thing about him was that he was albino, but that wasn't any reason to want him around! _He had permy hair!_ Didn't that count for anything? It was always so fluffed up and curly and offensive. It offended Hijikata to no end, that perm.

But another thing, okay, what kind of guy wore a dumb necklace with a strawberry on it? Oh, also, he wore a red watch with _strawberries on it, _what a fucking loser! Everyone else thought it was cute and so adorable, it made Hijikata sick to his stomach.

Now, Hijikata was bitching a lot, but he really wasn't that type of guy. Gintoki just rubbed him the wrong way and it was so frustrating because it honestly brought out the worst in him. That was a large part of why he hated the stupid perm so much, it gave people the wrong impression of him. Hijikata was quiet, he didn't have a ton of friends, but the ones he did have he'd protect and cherish until he died. Except Sougo... sometimes... maybe. No, Sougo, too, even if he was an annoying sadistic piece of shit. It was Sougo's first year and he was one of the lucky few to get to room with upperclassmen – namely, Kondo and Hijikata. They'd requested it to be like that, Mitsuba had wanted Sougo with familiar people, so Hijikata had done his damnedest to make it happen.

Point being, Hijikata preferred quiet, close circles and wasn't very sociable. He only got along with a select few people and while he'd known Kondo longer, Mitsuba was his closest confidant. Too bad for her that Hijikata was tight lipped about everything and liked to keep things to himself as much as he could. He didn't confide in people often and tended to deal with his troubles on his own, that was how he'd always done it and the last thing he wanted was to feel like a burden to anyone. He was happy with what he had and didn't feel like he needed anything else, or more to the point, he didn't want for anything.

With the exception of wanting this pranking shit to end and maybe for Gintoki to disappear off the face of the planet, that would be great. Then things could go back to normal the way Hijikata liked it and the whole thing could be put behind him like it'd never happened. He _still _flushed every time he saw a paper towel dispenser because Gintoki had followed Hijikata into the bathroom one day and slapped a 'voice activated' sticker on the only dispenser in the room. Hijikata was a complete dumbass for thinking it was legitimate, but he'd stood there for several minutes yelling at the thing expecting paper towels to come out, which they never did. That had been so embarrassing, people were talking about it for _days _and Hijikata had just wanted to burrow under his covers and never come back out.

He disliked attention about as much as Gintoki thrived on it and being in this pranking thing only attracted attention. Lots of attention, it seemed like everyone was waiting to see who would do what next. He really hated that, he hated being watched and talked about, he liked to just fade into the background and enjoy things from a distance. Being the focal point was stressful and he didn't want any part of it anymore, that was why this prank had to be the end game to all the pranks.

Hijikata was just finishing up his day, every student had a full schedule and was required to do different extra curricular activities to keep everyone busy and involved. That meant clubs or functions, whatever anyone found interesting. Hijikata liked music, so he was part of a musical instrument club that allowed him to remain solitary, but also play in a group if he wanted while he got guidance from an professional instructor. He liked the one-on-one sessions more than the group sessions, but above that, he liked just playing by himself somewhere. The only person he played in front of was Mitsuba because she liked it and Hijikata felt comfortable with her.

Of classes, he and Gintoki had four out of seven together – math, language arts, biology, and then they had the same free study period. School began at eight in the morning and went until three forty-five in the afternoon, each class being a solid forty-five minutes with fifteen minutes in between to get to the next class. There were two lunches, lunch A and lunch B, the first began at twelve-fifteen and the second began at one. Just like classes, lunch was forty-five minutes and it was just Hijikata's terrible luck that he and Gintoki were both in lunch A together. Hijikata's schedule was math, physics, language arts, biology, government, free, then economics and he liked his classes, but he got too anxious in the ones he shared with Gintoki. Never knowing when the bastard was going to pull something or what he was going to do, it was nerve-racking.

It was near three-thirty when he went into his room and unlocked it with the key on a lanyard around his neck, then beelined right to his bed. There were three beds in the room, one single bed and one bunk bed by the far wall across from the door. It was first come, first serve with the beds. The person who got there first at the start of the year got to choose which bed they wanted. Hijikata had managed second, so he'd ended up with the bottom bunk. He'd shared a room with Kondo for two years and he was a good roommate to have, though, he could get a little sloppy sometimes.

Gintoki had three main cronies, none of which Hijikata cared for at all. Sakamoto was far too loud and annoying, much like Gintoki himself. It was no wonder they'd found and taken to each other on basically the first day. The other two were Gintoki's roommates and Hijikata really didn't like either of them. Katsura was a thief and he always got away with it, it drove Hijikata crazy! And Takasugi was downright repulsive. He always acted like such a punk, like he was better than everyone else and it was so obvious that he enjoyed it when Gintoki pranked Hijikata. Just thinking about that smug bastard's face made Hijikata's cheeks flush with embarrassed anger.

He sat there on his bed plotting and idly eating the stuff he'd grabbed for lunch, he didn't really like to eat in the cafeteria these days. He had a bunch of homework to do, so he pulled that out and spread it out on his bed in front of him. There were three desks along the wall to the right and Hijikata had snagged the one by the window. It was only as an afterthought that he gathered his stuff and went to the desk. The seat was comfortable and the desk itself was big enough to fit all of his stuff.

His was the neatest desk, Kondo's was the messiest and Hijikata had to consistently push Kondo's stuff back over onto his own desk since they were side by side. He was just glad he didn't have to be next to Sougo, that wouldn't end well, they could barely stand being near each other without Sougo being a problem.

Overall, he liked his room and for the most part, enjoyed his roommates. Sougo was off and on, but Hijikata had known both of them for years, so Sougo was, depending on the day, excusable. It was only when their antics interfered with his studies that he got temperamental with them. But at the end of the day, he couldn't think of anyone else he'd rather be staying with since boys weren't allowed to room with girls, thus, ruling Mitsuba out as an option. It counted as something, too, that his room was one of the places he felt safest.

He looked out the window at the school grounds and he was glad that his he had a decent view of it. Students were all over the place, filtering around on such a nice day and it looked like many of them had opted to go outside after classes. There was a creek running through the grounds and a bridge to get to the other side. There were soccer fields, an area for outdoor basketball, plenty of room to sit and study, and there were woods in an arc surrounding the whole place. Within those woods were all sorts of paths and wildlife and a few observatory shacks that classes would visit for activities.

Hijikata was just shy of enjoying the landscape until he spotted a shock of unmistakable white hair. His everything soured, his stomach dropped, his face fell, he could only glare ineffectually at Gintoki's stupid head. Feeling particularly vindictive, he lifted a hand and closed an eye so he could pretend he was squishing Gintoki's head between his forefinger and thumb. The moron was surrounded by a hoard, he was laughing at something and tossed an item only to get something different tossed back. Probably trading food, on second thought – probably for some more fucking sugar.

Hijikata needed a good prank, something that would knock Gintoki right off his fucking pedestal. He was going to relish it, but he really needed the idea, that was all. Smothering Gintoki with saran wrap sounded pleasant, but the risk and likelihood that he'd get caught were too high. Hijikata couldn't deny that he had somewhat of a violent steak in him because of his temper. Typically, he was fairly mild, but once he got revved up about something, his temper flared and he always acted before he thought. It wasn't a good trait, it wasn't something he liked about himself, but he was doing his best to handle it and Mitsuba was helping him with his anger management.

He tapped his pen against his desk repeatedly, thinking and utterly distracted. He needed this fucking prank so bad and he wanted his epiphany moment. He'd seen that kind of stuff happen in TV shows and movies, that moment where the protagonist got their _moment_ where everything became clear. That was what Hijikata was waiting on as he glared at Gintoki's head and hoped he fell off... the bridge railing... he was sitting on...

The bridge.

The railing on the bridge that Gintoki always sat on.

It... wasn't that great of a prank, but it was _something_ and everything else he was coming up with was crap. If he could find a way to use the bridge and send Gintoki in for a swim, that would be pretty satisfying. Hopefully the day would be windy and it'd churn up the mud so Gintoki would get good and filthy when he fell in. Like, have to wash his uniform right away or, better yet, get a whole new one.

To be honest, Hijikata felt really juvenile because of all these pranks, just having to reduce to such low antics that gave only momentary satisfaction before he had to move onto the next one. He was running out of ammunition on top of that, which sucked. He'd always kind of thought of himself as clever, maybe a little creative when he needed to be, but Gintoki kept proving him wrong. Always one step ahead, always better in some way, Hijikata was sick of it.

And the really shitty part was that people seemed to think every prank Gintoki did was hilarious, while everything Hijikata did in return was dumb and made him the enemy. He could tell in the way people looked at him like they were judging him and wanted nothing to do with him. That was fine, he didn't want anything to do with them, either, since he had the people he deemed important already, but they had no right to judge him.

Hijikata also had a suspicion that Sougo or someone, maybe multiple people, were helping Gintoki plot and execute. That really wasn't fair if it was true, he and Gintoki should go head to head on this and not be helped by anyone else, that was as good as cheating. Hijikata was hell bent on calling Gintoki out on it if the opportunity ever presented itself. At one point, he'd been so desperate he'd considered asking Sougo for help, but didn't actually do it because with his luck, Sougo would just tell Gintoki and it'd all be ruined. He also didn't do it because it'd make him a hypocrite and if Gintoki wasn't allowed to ask for help, then Hijikata sure as shit shouldn't be asking for help. The whole thing was a hassle and a dilemma, Hijikata wanted nothing more to do with it.

But the bridge thing, that had potential.

Maybe if he tricked Gintoki to somehow go out there by himself... no, that wouldn't be likely. The guy was an idiot, but he always had people surrounding him and following him around like lost little ducklings. He'd have to wait until later to properly check out the bridge and how it was set up since he'd never spent too much time on it, so in the mean time, he turned his attention to his homework. He felt better that he had something of an idea because that was better than nothing.

-o-O-o-

Back to the Present

-o-O-o-

"You o-okay over there?"

"Yeah."

Gintoki didn't sound okay at all and Hijikata couldn't even blame anything on his chattering teeth. Their shoes squeaked on the floor with each step, announcing their arrival and drawing every eye and inquisitive look to them. He turned them down the medical wing and the boy from before was pacing around the outside of the door. When he saw them, he jumped in place like a goddamn spaz and said something inside the door. Seconds later, a very tall, slim woman with sharp cheekbones came strutting out.

"What happened?"

Hijikata was panicked and opened his mouth to answer, but Gintoki beat him to it.

"I f-fell!" Even held close to him, Gintoki's arm was bent in the most grotesque way. "The creek – a-ah, the bridge broke a-and I landed wrong."

She clicked her tongue in admonishment and took Gintoki away. It was really that fast, one moment he was there at Hijikata's side and the next he was walking off with the nurse. Hijikata was left grappling and gaping, he... didn't get it. With the way Hijikata's stomach dropped and swooped, he wasn't sure if he was relieved or possibly more terrified that Gintoki hadn't told the truth. The first thing that came to mind was that Gintoki was doing it for revenge and had something big planned to get back at him. That had to be it, it was the only thing that made sense.

Hijikata was doomed.

This was it, Hijikata had done it, it was all over for him. He stood outside the nurse's office and though he wasn't the one that had taken a plunge, he felt numb. Everything had gone according to plan... until Gintoki wound up with a broken arm, that hadn't been part of any thought Hijikata had had. Well, not quite. He could get rather ruthless, but only in his mind! Something so bad wasn't supposed to become a reality, now he just felt like dirt and he should never feel that way, especially because of someone like Gintoki.

He'd gone out the day before and waited until later in the evening to get a closer look at the layout of the bridge. It was older and the wood was rotting in some places, but the best thing was that the railing could be tampered with. Gintoki liked to sit right in the middle of it, so all Hijikata had to do was loosen the screws holding the spindles in that part. That way, the moment Gintoki sat on that, it'd give way and send him for a swim.

Hijikata had felt like a stalker after that because ever since he'd loosened the spindles, he'd been watching Gintoki's every move. No way was he going to miss this, he'd wanted to see the look of shock and surprise on Gintoki's dumb face as he pitched backward and got slam dunked into the creek. He'd been waiting and waiting for Gintoki to make a trip to the bridge, but he didn't go there for awhile, not even for lunch. Mitsuba had commented that Hijikata was acting weird because he kept disappearing, but he couldn't explain to her why he didn't want to miss the main event.

Where had things gone wrong?

Well, first, Gintoki had gone out alone when he usually never did that. Second, it was during their free period. Third, the stars must have aligned just right to fuck this up. The whole universe was against Hijikata, like, he couldn't just fuck up, he had to _seriously_ fuck up. That was why it didn't matter that the nuse had taken Gintoki, Hijikata wasn't going to leave until he knew whether Gintoki was going to be permanently crippled or not – also, he needed his jacket back. Honestly though, Hijikata couldn't in his right mind leave no matter how much he wanted to run back to his room and burrow under his covers until everyone forgot he existed.

Someone cleared their throat and Hijikata glared at the boy from before. "Why're you still here?"

"I... I'm sorry, I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. He looked pretty hurt."

Hijikata's mouth thinned out and he sat heavily on a bench along the wall outside the door. "He did, didn't he?"

"Not to mention soaked."

"You're not helpin'."

"Right, sorry."

"Quit apologizin'. You can go, there's no need for you to stay."

"That's true... give Gintoki my best!"

Hijikata wasn't even surprised. "You know him?"

"Hm? Well, yeah," the boy replied, having stopped mid-stride, "we've met. He helped me out with a... problem I was having with some kids a grade above. Who're you?"

"Hijikata is fine."

"Oh, yeah! I think I know you! Er, not _know_ you, but heard of you. I'm Yamazaki, this is my first year here."

"That's nice."

"I really hope Gintoki's okay. What happened?"

Continuity was important and though it didn't feel right, Hijikata went along with what Gintoki had said.

"The bridge broke and he fell in the water."

Yamazaki winced. "Ouch. The water level is really low right now since we haven't had a rain in awhile. I bet the school is going to be all over covering this up, too."

"How do you figure?"

"A student getting hurt and breaking an arm because of property malfunction? They'll want to keep that as quiet as possible."

"I-it was an accident though."

"My mom's a lawyer and I can definitely tell you that there have been lawsuits over much smaller things. Like, last year there was a guy that sued his phone company for his addiction to porn!" Hijikata stared and Yamazaki's smile faded as he realized what he just blurted out. Face turning an interesting shade of red, he took a couple nervous steps away, saying, "Well, I do hope he's okay! I've got to go now, see you!"

He bolted so fast, Hijikata almost felt bad for him, but that had been awkward, so he was glad Yamazaki left. Hijikata didn't know how long it was going to take before the nurse would be able to give him more information or tell him when he'd get to see Gintoki, but one thing was for sure, he wasn't leaving until he talked to Gintoki. He felt absolutely sick to his stomach for a lot of reasons and he had a gut feeling that things were only going to get worse before they could ever get any better.

Leg moving up and down in nervous habit, the waiting began.

**To Be Continued**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N**: Needless to say, this one is for Silvia ^_^

**There is No Morning After Pill for This**

Hijikata still couldn't believe this had happened to him. Good plans went wrong all the time, but his plan didn't have to fuck up so bad – what had he ever done to deserve it? What puppy had he brutally kicked, what kitten had he dunked in water, what sacred artifact had he defiled to deserve such a day as this? Couldn't Gintoki have just been submerged under the water, come out freezing, claim Hijikata the winner, and that be the end of it?

Apparently not.

Some other people stopped by throughout the course of the afternoon and each asked the same stupid questions. Where was Gintoki, what happened, was Gintoki okay – again and again. Whoever had seen them on the grounds had spread the word like wildfire and it felt like everyone knew Gintoki had gotten hurt. There were even stories as to how and once it became public knowledge that Hijikata was involved, the rumors really began to take life.

Hijikata imagined it like someone on a lawnmower cutting grass. The rumors were like the cut ends that came spewing out of the sides, small, great in number, and voluminous when all together. He liked the smell of freshly mowed grass, but he couldn't stand the stench of the rumors that were flying through the air with no specific direction in mind. He caught more people staring and the whispering – the whispering! – alone was enough to drive him mad.

How long had he been waiting? Two hours? Three? He'd lost all track of time and he was still sick to his stomach, _he _might need to be admitted to the medical wing before too long. He was terrible at waiting and his nausea was only getting worse, he'd be puking all over soon. He wasn't usually so weak of stomach or so emotionally invested, but he knew without a doubt that this was his fault. His ass was numb, so maybe it had been four hours, he couldn't bring himself to check. Knowing how much time he'd wasted waiting would only make things worse for him – as if they could get much worse. What he wanted was for Kondo or Mitsuba to come by, they'd know what to say to make him feel better, but they were nowhere to be seen.

"Young man?" Hijikata looked up. "You can go see your friend now if you want, he's awake."

Hijikata seized up and was so stiff standing that his legs and back ached. His breathing was coming in short bursts and once he was all the way on his feet, a huge blood rush went straight to his head. He thought of the way Gintoki's arm had rested at such an awkward angle and of the pained look on his face as he'd tried, shivering so hard he quaked, to walk on his own despite the pain and perturbation.

Within seconds his vision was blurring up, his entire top half felt like static, but he was still conscious enough to feel his face hit the floor before he blacked out.

-o-O-o-

When Hijikata woke up, he was in a bed and for a moment he was able to delude himself into thinking he'd just had the most messed up dream ever. There really was a blissful moment where he was so sure he'd made it all up and he was tucked safely away in his own bed in the room he shared with Kondo and Sougo. However, this wasn't his room and the canvas surrounding his bed, blocking everything else, including light, away was a telltale sign that what happened was a cold reality.

It was quiet in the medical center and when he moved to sit, he was glad to find that his head wasn't full or fuzzy. The nausea was still there, it came as a slight burn at the back of his throat, but when he stood up his stomach remained settled. There was nothing in there for him to puke up anymore, so hopefully he wouldn't embarrass himself any more than he already had.

Making his way over to the right, he slid the partition aside just a crack and peeked out. There weren't any nurses or staff to be seen, yet Hijikata was frozen to the spot and his hand started to tremble. Just diagonally to the right, a pair of red eyes were watching him and he was helplessly immobile under their weight. Gintoki's expression wasn't one of hate or joy, anger or sadness, it just _was_. He stared with an openness that was startling and the lack of hostility was in itself enough to raise up red flags on all of Hijikata's radars.

Taking a deep breath, Hijikata stepped out from behind the canvas and approached the bed. Gintoki was sitting up, cushioned by several pillows with his arm in his lap, it was covered by a super white cast and Hijikata gulped. His wet clothes were nowhere to be seen and he looked to be in borrowed clothes, a pair of plain red shorts and an old black t-shirt. Neither thing seemed to fit him right, but Hijikata supposed it was better than sitting in drenched clothes and catching a cold. His own clothes weren't very wet anymore and he hadn't been completely drenched, so he was much less of a worry in the potential cold department.

The silence between them after Hijikata sat down in a chair nearby – his legs shaking so much he felt they might give out – was so awkward and oppressing, he couldn't stand it.

"I-it wasn't – that didn't g-go how it was s-supposed to, I –"

"It's," Gintoki was playing with the edge of the cast, "okay."

"A-and if t-there's – _huh_?"

Gintoki ran his good hand through his hair. "I said... it's okay. Well, no, obviously it's not _okay_ because," he raised his cast arm and sighed, "of this, but I'm not gonna tell anyone."

"Why? Why're you..." he leaned forward and hissed angrily, "I b-broke your arm!"

"Yeah, and that _sucks_. Hurts, too. But," he looked up at Hijikata and sighed again, "I don't know. I'm just not mad about it."

"Why the hell not, are you stupid?"

"No! I'm just not mad."

"You s-should be!"

Gintoki blinked a few times. "What's your deal? I thought you'd be glad!"

"Why the h-hell would I be glad 'bout this, a-asshole?"

"Because I'm not gonna tell anyone what happened!" He paused as a thought occurred to him. "Wait... did you _want_ me to get hurt?"

"O-of course not!"

"Then there's no harm done! It was an accident!"

"I s-still wanted you to f-fall!"

"But not break my arm, there's a difference!"

The partition raised halfway around Gintoki's bed opened a little farther and the nurse poked her head in. "Boys? Oh, Hijikata-kun, glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling, dear?"

"Fine," Hijikata mumbled, face hot.

"May I see you for a moment then? I just need to ask some questions and look you over. It's protocol I'm afraid."

He stood without a word and let her lead him back to the bed he'd been in before. He answered her routine questions honestly, there was no need to lie about how he was feeling. He'd never really fainted before, but she agreed that given the circumstances it was likely the pressure and anxiety caused by the situation were to blame for his sudden instability.

"He got lucky with that break," Akane said suddenly – Hijikata only previously learned her name.

"H-he did?"

"Quite." She filled out some paperwork on Hijikata's chart so she could discharge him. "It's very clean, he's lucky you were there."

Hijikata shifted uncomfortably on the bed where he was sitting and bit his lip. Luck had nothing to do with it, luck was absent, luck was nowhere to be found.

"Ah," was the only sound he could muster.

"It's none of my business what relationship there is between you two," Hijikata startled at the use of _relationship_, "but I'll have to ask you not to raise your voice at him like that in my ward, is that understood?"

"Y-yes, ma'am. M'sorry, I was j-just... just..."

"Worried, I'm sure," she finished for him and a fresh wave of nausea seized him.

"S-somethin' like that."

"Nevertheless, he's a patient and he's injured, it would do if you were a little more composed with him."

"I understand."

"So you won't be a problem if I let you back in there to speak with him?"

"No, ma'am," Hijikata replied bleakly.

"Good, you're clear to go."

He bowed his head slightly to her, then solemnly returned to Gintoki's bed. His eyes were closed when Hijikata entered, but once he sat down they slit open and watched him with that same blank expression. It was a look Hijikata largely didn't understand, it was like there was _nothing_ going on behind those eyes, not a thought running through his head. Whatever medication he was on, if any, weren't dulling his perceptiveness, so it wasn't like he was drowsy. Gintoki was definitely thinking something, but as to what, no man could ever fashion a guess.

They stayed like that for a good five minutes.

"Oi."

"Hm?"

"Sign my cast?"

Hijikata let out a breathless huff, but then his eyes widened when Gintoki held out a marker. "Y-you're serious?"

"Hell yeah! You think I'm gonna let you off the hook just like that? Oh, no, your punishment has only just begun! You're gonna be taking all my notes for me and you're gonna carry my stuff when I need you to and you're gonna do more than just sign this thing. Sign now so you're the first, but I'm gonna want something cool drawn on there."

"B-but I can't draw!"

"It's a fitting punishment then, isn't it?" Hijikata was beside himself and Gintoki probably knew it because he went on, "No more pranks, okay? Carry my shit, take my notes, it'll be fine. Broken arms tend to heal, you know?"

Hijikata could only stare. "Are... a-are you on somethin'?"

"Well, yeah? Painkillers 'cause, I mean," he held up his arm and tried to fight back a wince. He laughed to cover it up and gingerly rested it back against his stomach. "Kinda need'em."

"So – do you hear yourself?" Hijikata licked his lips out of habit and leaned forward a little. "You know what you're sayin'?"

"Yes! God, I'm in pain, not stupid! Are you stupid? That why you keep asking the same questions?"

"I _broke your arm_! It's _broken_!" Hijikata motioned to the cast just in case Gintoki missed that little detail. "Why the fuck are you bein' so goddamn nice to me? You should be yellin' and askin' for my head on a stake!"

"Shh! Keep your voice down!" Gintoki admonished, waving his good hand. "The whole world doesn't need to know what happened!"

"Why are you protectin' me? Are you dumb? Did it break your brain when you got whacked in the water?"

Gintoki threw a cotton ball at him and it hit him right on the forehead. "Would you shut up? Oh my god, quit freaking out!"

"I'm the – oi! What're you doin'?"

"Getting up, what does it look like?"

"You can't get up yet!"

"My arm is broken, my legs happen to work just fine!"

Akane came in and startled Hijikata into freezing like he'd been doing something criminal. "What's going on in here?"

"Hi, Akane," Gintoki greeted as he put on his shoes, "I have someone to help me back to my room, so I'd like to be released now."

"Are you sure you're feeling well enough?"

He flashed her a smile, replying, "Yeah! Just kinda wanna be in my own bed."

"You know I'd like to keep you here at least for a night," she said and Hijikata was still unmoving. "But... you do have someone to help you and I'm sure you'd be more comfortable around your friends. So, I'll let you go, but only if you wear a sling and promise to come back if the pain gets to be too much."

"You've got yourself a deal! Will I have meds to take with me?"

She went over and grabbed something from the stand beside the bed. "Yes, just enough to get you through the night. You'll have to come back tomorrow so I can have a look and see how you're doing. Now, come here, let me put this on you and show you how to do it."

Hijikata wanted to bolt, but it felt like sheer duty to stay where he was and wait. He watched in anxious silence as Gintoki and Akane talked and she put his arm in a sling. He winced more than once, just little flinches that probably should have been full on jolts, but he'd never be released if he did that. He was good at hiding his pain, though it still peeked out in different places, like the way his face was too pale or the slight tremor in his shoulders. Akane slipped his arm into the sling and fastened the strap to keep it tight and snug against Gintoki's stomach.

"You get all that?"

"I think so, I can always come back if I have problems."

She gave him a stern look as she picked up his chart. "I'm serious about coming back if the pain is too much."

"Yeah, yeah, I hear you."

"And you won't do anything exerting tonight, right?"

"Nope! Just bed rest!"

Akane held out a bag to Hijikata until he took it. "His wet clothes, be sure to get them washed before they mildew. I hung them up for awhile, but the dryer down this hall is broken right now."

"Yes, ma'am."

"Anything else either of you need while you're here?"

They both shook their heads, but Gintoki asked, "Have you alerted our parents?"

"Yes, quite some time ago after you were settled. They know of your stable condition and would like to talk to you tonight when you have a chance to call."

Gintoki's brows were furrowed for a moment before he hid the look and shot Akane a beaming smile. "Thank you for everything! I'll come back tomorrow morning for you!"

"You'd better, I have no trouble hunting you down if I need to."

"I'd rather avoid that, honestly."

"Good, be gone with you then. And remember –"

"To come back in the pain gets to be too much," Gintoki finished and laughed. "Don't worry, I've got this! It's not my first broken bone, I'll be fine!"

Gintoki led the way out and immediately turned to take a back hall over to the stairwell. Hijikata followed along and was grateful that they likely wouldn't have to deal with too many people on their way. These stairs in particular were pretty nasty and hadn't been used or cleaned in what looked like years.

"You've broken a bone before?" Hijikata asked, hating the silence, but regretting the words because of how they echoed off the ceiling as they walked upward.

"A couple, actually. I was twelve and was learning how to horseback ride in the woods around the house when my horse decided to jump over a log I thought it would go around. I hadn't learned to jump yet and I lost my stirrups on one side. It didn't hurt at first when I landed on my chest, so I got back up and finished the ride. But by nightfall the pain was so bad we had to go to the emergency room and we found out I'd broken two ribs."

"How does someone _not know_ they've broken their bones?"

"Have you ever broken anything?"

"No."

"Then you wouldn't understand how it feels." Gintoki snorted. "I don't recommend it, by the way."

"Horseback riding or bone breaking?"

Gintoki snorted again, this time with actual humor. "Bone breaking. Horseback riding is fun."

"You don't seem like the type."

"To horseback ride?"

"Yeah."

"There isn't a type for that."

They reached the top of the stairs and Gintoki continued to lead the way back to his room. Hijikata didn't make a move to walk next to him, he only followed like a stupid lost little duckling and he couldn't stop himself from periodically glancing up at where Gintoki's sling was resting over his shoulders and along the back of his neck. It was a navy blue sling with thick black trim and the people they passed in the hall openly stared. Usually first at the sling, then at Gintoki, then last at Hijikata in that order. The whispers were loud and to Hijikata, it felt like they kept getting louder and louder.

He was being scrutinized by the student body populace and Gintoki acted as if nothing were amiss. He smiled at people and was already making jokes about being a cripple, but not once did he stop or slow. He'd promise to see someone later from time to time and as they went it dawned on Hijikata just how _many _people Gintoki knew and was friendly with. It made Hijikata's small circle of friends seem like a drop in the ocean rather than his whole world – Gintoki's world was much, much bigger than his own.

Hijikata's relief couldn't have been more profound when they reached Gintoki's room. It got even better when Gintoki fumbled with his key and unlocked the door to find said room empty. Hijikata let out a sigh and Gintoki shot him a look like he understood the feeling, though, there was no way he probably could have. Right? Whatever. The room was set up exactly how Hijikata's was, but with all the beds made, he couldn't tell which one belonged to whom.

"Which...?"

"Oh, bottom bunk," Gintoki replied as he fiddled with something on his desk by the wall instead of the window like Hijikata's. "Had to rock, paper, scissors Takasugi for it. He's not happy about it. Especially since the other night he got annoying and I pushed up on the bottom of his mattress so hard that it flung him off the side."

"Can't say I feel bad for him."

"I was serious about you taking notes and shit for me."

Hijikata froze as he was setting the clothes down. "Y-you were?"

"Yup! And here," he tossed Hijikata the marker that he barely managed to catch, "don't forget to sign."

"I don't wanna."

"You're going to! You owe me that much!"

"I don't owe you shit!"

"'Course you do! I'm not even asking for much, just some notes and a drawing really! You're the one that had to go all above and beyond with this stunt!"

"It's not my fault! I just wanted the fuckin' pranks to finally end!"

Gintoki looked blown away. "Wait... you didn't like them?"

"No!"

"Why didn't you say anything? Shit! If I'd have known that I wouldn't have done any of them! I thought you liked them and that was just – fuck! I don't know! How you were?" Gintoki's eyes went wide. "We did that for six weeks, you ass! If you didn't like it, why the fuck didn't you tell me?"

"I – h-how could I have? I could just l-let you win!"

"What the fuck? _Win_? Since when was it about winning? I was just having fun!"

"I wasn't!"

"But Sougo –"

"_Sougo_!" Hijikata yelled the name like a curse. "_Of course_ it was Sougo! He told you I was havin' a great time, didn't he? Said I was some kind of w-weird fucker that glared harder the more I enjoyed somethin', right?"

Gintoki frowned. "Something like that. Not exactly word for word, but that's the general idea, yeah."

"I shoulda known! Fuck! He kept tellin' me shit too! About you and goddamn it! I shoulda known right away he was full of shit!"

"Why didn't you ever just talk to me if you didn't like it?"

"I could ask you the same thing!"

"You never wanted anything to do with me! Every time I tried to talk to you, you either found a way out of it or glared murder at me until I aborted the mission!"

They both fell silent after that, each of their chests heaving from the force of their words. Gintoki sat heavily down onto his bed, the springs making a quiet squeak of protest, and he stared at the floor, shoulders slightly hunched.

"It was funny when you changed my hair color," he said after awhile in an almost timid voice.

"Stop tryin' to make it sound like somethin' it wasn't."

"But I wasn't kidding when I said I was having fun!"

Hijikata glared. "That's fine if _you _like attention so much, but I don't."

"This doesn't have shit to do with attention," Gintoki replied and his head tipped in confusion. "What does attention even... no, never mind. Fuck all with attention, I was just having fun _with_ you, not at your expense." He paused, then added simply, "I like fun and you were fun."

"I'm not _fun_."

"Like it or not, you were." Gintoki tried a smile and held out his cast. "Sign it and you can consider it the end to the prank war."

Hijikata finally relented and went over to take a seat next to Gintoki on the bed. He had to move the sling out of the way and felt legitimately terrible when Gintoki had to hide a poorly concealed wince. He signed the stupid cast, hesitating only at the start because his would be the first mark to blotch the supreme whiteness of the material. It felt wrong somehow, his name shouldn't be the first, and he would have said that if he thought Gintoki would take it seriously at all. Biting his lip, he put the point of the marker down and scrawled out his name, not his full name, just a plain: Hijikata.

It felt like he was signing away his soul.

**To Be Continued**


	3. Chapter 3

**Word of Advice: Don't Ever Take Having Two Arms for Granted**

"Is it bothering you?"

Gintoki creaked an eye open to look at Katsura and shook his head.

"I've barely noticed," he lied.

Nodding, Katsura went back to clattering around at his desk and Takasugi groaned.

"You may not find that annoying, but I do."

"No one cares," Katsura replied and Gintoki snorted.

The two of them had gotten in a tiny turf war that Kastura had won and Takasugi had remained bitter ever since. He was on his bed in the top bunk sulking and Gintoki always thought he looked like a sad rodent when he did that. Gintoki was on his back on Katsura's bed with his limp arm resting on his stomach. It was hurting at the moment, had been all morning, and there was a soft throb that coincided with his heartbeat all along his arm.

"We have to get to class soon."

Katsura stopped working to ask, "Are you feeling up to that?"

"Yeah, I don't hurt or anything."

"Will you be okay using your left hand?"

"It won't be the prettiest or most graceful thing, but yeah."

Takasugi peered out at him. "I'm still not sold on how you broke that thing."

"This _thing_ is an arm."

"Yeah, and I don't think you broke it how you say you did."

Gintoki started to kick off the blanket he'd pulled up over himself. "No? Then how do you think I did it?"

"Doing something stupid," Takasugi replied and hopped out of bed to nudge Gintoki's shoes toward him.

"Sorry to disappoint you, but it really was as boring as I said. You're just mad someone else got to sign before you did."

"Not likely."

Gintoki swung his legs around and used his left hand to get his shoes on. Takasugi tied them for him and now that he was sitting up, the throbbing in his arm had increased. He wasn't light headed, but he wasn't feeling the best, either. At the very least, he wasn't nauseous anymore, that was what had stopped him up so much earlier.

"Here," Katsura said and pushed a cup into his hand.

"What's this for?"

"He crushed your painkiller up in it."

Katsura smacked Takasugi's shoulder and pushed him away. "Don't say it like that, it sounds bad! I was just hoping this might help you not taste it."

Gintoki frowned down at the cup. "I don't like not being able to trust strawberry milky."

"Just drink it," Takasugi groused as he got ready.

Sighing, Gintoki drank everything in his cup and winced as it went down. It didn't taste as bad as it had before, but his favorite drink had been tainted and he really didn't like that.

"No good?"

"Don't try milk again."

"Got it."

Gintoki went with his friends and Takasugi said goodbye when they were halfway to their classroom. He only shared this class with Katsura and he wished Sakamoto was in it with them because he had a way of making classes fun. Not that Katsura wasn't fun, he just actually paid attention to the lectures and he spent time taking good notes.

Gintoki was pretty checked out, so he just sat next to Katsura and wriggled his sling into a more comfortable spot. He made sure it was covert so Katsura wouldn't pick up on it and for the remainder of the class, Gintoki aimlessly doodled in the notebook Katsura had put out for him. Most of his doodles were zigzags following the edges of the paper because those were the easiest ones to make and he measured the time with them. It took eleven very slow full circles of zigzags to complete the class and after that, they headed off to eat.

Lunch was the worst to get through.

He wasn't in the best mood to talk and he couldn't eat very well, which was perhaps the most tragic thing. He loved to eat, he was still a growing boy, and that he couldn't eat as much as he wanted was distressing. He didn't like being the blundering idiot that needed help opening something as simple as a pudding cup. It felt good to be with all his friends, they were great company, but at the moment he just felt more like a hinderance than anything.

"You okay?" Sakamoto asked after about five minutes of Gintoki staring forlornly at his sparse plate.

"Yeah, just lost my appetite."

"Want me to take you back to your room?"

"I can do it, you don't have to come."

"I don't mind."

"I know, but there's no need. I'll see you guys later."

Katsura began to stand, but Sakamoto pushed him back down to sit and Gintoki gave him a grateful look. He waved to them and slung his bag over his shoulder before heading off. He felt bad for being this way, he was never this antisocial amongst his own friends, but he was about at max capacity for how much he could fake it in a day. He waved at people that called out to him and stopped at one table to grin and promise them he'd let them sign his cast later. Getting out the cafeteria had him letting out a sigh of relief and he moseyed toward his room in the hopes of relaxing for awhile by himself.

Except, there was a set of footsteps that caught up to him when he was roughly halfway back and his stomach dropped.

"Hi..." Hijikata greeted and trailed off.

"Hey."

"I saw you leave the cafeteria... thought it might be a good chance to catch up to you." Hijikata noticeably paused and searched for words. "Are you... good?"

"Well, I'm not _bad_."

"Oh. Yeah, okay.."

Hijikata looked awkward and Gintoki sighed because he didn't know what to do with this. He wasn't exactly the best people person and sometimes he'd offend others without meaning to.

"You weren't in class this morning... I didn't know if I should stop in or not. I did take notes! So... I did do something..."

"Thanks, I'd actually completely forgotten about that."

"You did?"

"Yeah, sorry, I'm kind of outta it today."

They reached his room and he pulled his key out of his pocket so he could unlock the door. Once inside, he dumped his stuff on his desk and pulled at the clasp of his sling, but the cinch was too high on his shoulder for him to get at it with his left hand.

"Oi, would you mind loosening this?"

Hijikata jolted and quickly came up behind him to fumble with the sling. He pulled the cinch down so Gintoki could get it over his head and he let out a sigh once he was able to freely roll his shoulder. That hurt his arm, but at least he could move without feeling the pull of that stupid strap digging into him. He tossed the sling over onto his bed and Hijikata had gone back to hovering by the door looking entirely out of place. Next, Gintoki grabbed his jacket and then stared at it because he didn't know what to do with it.

"A-are you cold?"

"A little."

"Here, I can..."

Hijikata motioned to the jacket and gently took it when Gintoki didn't move. He honestly wasn't even sure why he was cold at all, he rarely was. He could only assume the water had given him a chill and he was having trouble shaking it. Hijikata swung the jacket around him and settled it on his shoulders.

"You don't have to do stuff like that."

Hijikata winced. "No, I do."

"I get you feel guilty, but I really don't need you to force yourself to be around me."

"I'm not forcing myself."

"You're possibly the worst liar I've ever met."

Gintoki sat down in his chair and pulled out a notebook, then motioned for Hijikata to do the same. When he sat down in Katsura's chair, Gintoki noticed the way Hijikata brushed at his neck, then flinched and put his hand down in his lap. It was a very odd behavior, but Gintoki didn't comment on it and just waited for Hijikata to find the right page in his notebook for him.

"I can just make a copy of these for you, that'd probably be easier."

"That's okay, give them here."

Gintoki started jotting stuff down and the pen only felt a little awkward in his hand. He rested his broken arm on the desk, but made sure not to put any weight on it.

"That's... actually not too bad. Are you ambidextrous?"

"I don't know, what does that mean?"

"You can do shit with either hand."

"Mm... I guess? Never really thought about it."

Hijikata was quiet a moment, then asked, "Are you coming to bio?"

"Yeah, I'll be in all classes from now on."

"That's good." Gintoki jotted down a few more lines, then heard, "I see it didn't take your friends long to get at your cast."

Gintoki glanced down at the cluster of names and little doodles now decorating the once pristine plaster. He'd definitely get more throughout the day from different people, but all the best spots had already been claimed by Sakamoto and his roommates.

"Yeah, Takasugi's pretty pissed you were the first one to sign it."

"How did you... explain that?"

"I just told the truth. You lost the pranking war and signed my cast after admitting defeat."

"I didn't _lose_," Hijikata sputtered.

"Sure you did."

"Did not! If anything, I'm the one that ended it!"

"Yeah, with the worst prank ever! Your pranks got so bad, you ended the war with the worst one! That's why I'm the winner!"

"Woah! Hell no! All my pranks were good, that one just went wrong!"

Gintoki smirked and watched Hijikata's face get redder and redder. "Really? Those pranks were the best you could do? That's so sad... I'd just been warming up."

"As if! You're s-so full of shit!"

"Okay, okay, no need to get so worked up! Let's have a twenty second silence to simmer down."

Gintoki had meant it jokingly, but apparently, Hijikata took everything seriously because he glared off to the side and did that weird thing with his hand. He brought it up, brushed his fingers along the side of his neck, flinched, and put his hand down again. He was tempted to ask, but some curiosity within him had him keeping his mouth shut so he could observe longer and see if he could draw a conclusion himself.

So, instead, he asked, "Do you pass out often?"

"Excuse me?"

"Yesterday, you passed out in the infirmary. I didn't want to bring it up then, but it got me wondering since getting faint isn't something I've ever seen you do."

Gintoki watched Hijikata closely and even if he weren't, he'd still see him flush.

"No. A-ah, okay, not really."

"You have before?"

"T'ch – yeah." Hijikata had gone back to glaring. "Satisfied?"

"I wasn't asking to embarrass you."

"Sure you weren't, asshole."

"I wasn't! I was just asking to ask, I swear!" He turned back to the notebook and tried writing down a few more notes. "Do broken bones freak you out or something?"

"No, do they freak _you_ out?"

"Not at all. Wait, why do you ask?"

"I dunno, you got really weird after –"

"If you say I got weird after I fell into freezing cold water and broke my arm, I _will_ throw this pen at your face."

Hijikata was silent for a bit, then cleared his throat and said, "So, you missed classes this morning..."

It was possibly one of the worst change of subjects Gintoki had ever heard.

"Right, I got dragged to the infirmary."

"Because... your arm hurt?"

Gintoki frowned and paused his scratching at the paper with the tip of the pen hovering just over the middle of the word he'd been working on. He didn't want to say that he hadn't slept well or that his unintentional restlessness had worried Katsura enough that he'd woken up Takasugi and they'd both escorted – dragged – Gintoki to the clinic. It'd been a rough morning and Gintoki wasn't adjusting as well as he'd have liked to only having the use of one arm.

"I had to go back and see her."

That was true, mostly.

"How long do you have to be on the painkillers?"

"Until I can do things without it being painful."

"That makes sense."

Gintoki went back to writing and he was reminded once again why he hated math. It was his first class every morning and it was the worst way to start out his day. Hijikata's leg was bouncing and he couldn't seem to sit still for the life of him.

"You have someplace you need to be?"

"No! It's just lunch. Then, you know, our class."

"Why're you so fidgety?"

"No reason."

"Yeah, you're definitely the worst liar I've ever met." Gintoki dropped his pen and turned to face Hijikata fully. "What is it?"

"N-nothing! I'm just..."

"Just..."

Hijikata took a deep breath and said in a rush, "Just waiting for you to finally blow up at me."

"I'm not gonna do that, I already told you."

"You should," Hijikata pressed. "You totally should, just get it off your chest!"

"I'm not mad and just so we're clear, I don't hate you. You signed the cast! I thought we had an understanding!"

"We did – er, we _do_!"

"You sure about that?"

"Yes! I just feel like a normal person would be upset!"

"We went over this already! What, do you need it in writing?"

"No! Why're you speaking so loud?"

"Because you're speaking so loud!"

Each of them looked away and Hijikata, who was breathing unevenly, took the moment to catch his breath. Gintoki turned away to give him space, but slumped moodily down into his chair and poked at the pen so it rolled back and forth without getting away from him.

"I talked to my dad last night," Hijikata said after awhile.

"How'd that go?"

"I'm pretty sure he was disappointed."

"Why? If you stuck to the story, then he'd know you helped."

"Maybe, but he took it as me getting into trouble and that's not allowed. I'm kinda glad, it'd feel wrong if he were proud of me over this." Once more, Hijikata did that weird thing with his hand and leaned in closer. "Lemme see how far you are with the notes. Ah... wait, a-are those... what the hell? You're not taking notes at all! That's just a list of sweets!"

"They started out as notes!" Gintoki defended and used his cast to cover the list up.

"Why'd you stop copying my stuff?"

"I'm a sixteen year old boy, I don't give a shit about taking notes!"

Hijikata yelled a frustrated sound and used a hand to try and cover up the snort that just barely escaped. They fought and Hijikata forced Gintoki to at least write down the key points of the lectures so he had an idea of what went on. Homework would come later, but once they'd hashed out what notes were important and what notes weren't, it was time for them to head to their class. Gintoki put his sling back on and Hijikata willingly grabbed his bag so they could go.

"I hope you don't think you've gotten out of drawing something on my cast."

Hijikata just groaned on response.

**To Be Continued**


End file.
